<I>I was at the dump recently and there were a bunch of trucks from Kansas City dumping what the woman at the desk called "contaminated soil" at our dump. What exactly is it, what is in it, and why are they bringing it here to dump?</I>

According to Charles Sedlock, divisional manager at Hamm Quarries, the Hamm Landfill that serves Douglas and Jefferson counties does receive nonhazardous contaminated soil that may contain a little gasoline or diesel fuel. For example, he said the soil may come from someone cleaning up a gas station property. He said the landfill has a permit for that type of material, and it is much safer in a lined landfill that it is out in the public.

The landfill straddles the Douglas-Jefferson county line north of U.S. Highway 24.